Summary: Dracula is a novel about 6 comrades scheming to exterminate Count Dracula in revenge for killing the love of both Quincey Morris and Lord Godalming, Lucy Westenra. They soon find they are dealing with a bloodthirsty vampire, and their plot turns into a race for whom is able to survive, Count Dracula, or them. Their story is told through various newspaper clippings, letters, and journal entries, which gives the reader more insight into each of the machinator’s minds.

Personal Reaction:Honestly, I found this novel very confusing when I read it the first time. Since this novel was written in 1897 the language the character’s used was difficult to comprehend. I would like to relate this novel to Julius Caesar, a tragedy by William Shakespeare. These books are similar because I literally have to break down each sentence of both novels and put the words into more modern phrases. Although they are written in two very different time periods, they both do not use language that I would use daily. What was really great about Dracula is Stoker really shows one the depth of the character’s relationships with one another. For example, the love triangle of Quincey Morris, Lord Godalming, and Lucy Westenra. Also, the use of journal entries and letters gives one more insight into the feelings of everyone, and makes one really connect with each character. Although the only reason I read this novel is because it is so famous, I feel that I have been able to relate to each character in Dracula, except for Count Dracula, because I have never craved the taste of human blood before, and hopefully never will.

...Write a Book Review
Your opinion is important—don't be afraid to voice it in a book review
Writing a book review is not the same as writing a bookreport or a summary. A book review is a critical analysis of a published work that assesses the work's strengths and weaknesses. A prominent reviewer can have a major impact on a book's reception. Many authors strive to have their books reviewed by a professional because a published review (even a negative one) can be a great source of publicity. One need look no further than Oprah Winfrey's famed Book Club to see the effect that this type of publicity can have on a book's sales. There are countless book review examples, but first, let's discuss how to write a book review.
You aren't in high school anymore
As mentioned, a book review is not a bookreport. Resist the temptation to summarize the character, plot, theme, and setting, which was probably the formula you used in your high school English classes. Your readers are not interested in having the book re-told to them, and are certainly not interested in having the ending spoiled. To become a legitimate book reviewer, you need to be able to tell your readers whether the book you are reviewing is interesting, thorough, original, and worth spending money...

...Thing(ness)
1. Read this (this thing 1 cm. below)
P. J. O’Rourke, the political satirist, reviews in this issue a new book about Starbucks. He told us, in an e-mail exchange, how he brews his own reviews: “I read something I’m reviewing the same way I read other things except more so. That is, I already keep a commonplace book (a file folder, really) for quotations, ideas, information, etc. If I’m going to write a review I mark the work for myself, but besides underlining what interests me I also underline what — as far as I can tell — interested the author. By the time I’m done I have an outline for the review. All I have to do is figure out a smart-aleck lead sentence and a wiseacre ending.”1
2. Then read the “How to write a Book Review” article on the very next page. Yes, it is a bit long but the information is really quite good.
3. Over the week go to www.salon.com or to http://www.nytimes.com/pages/books read at least five reviews and then divide them into good and bad reviews. Think about the specific qualities that define the better ones. The article from step two of this process will be helpful at this point. At the end of the day a good book review sees an interesting pattern or spins your understanding of the book in a new and delightful way…and importantly is enjoyable to read (as a writer you need to have fun savaging the book, exploring it,...

...Example of Book Review
The Ka, a novel
An example of book review writing can be found listed with most books sold on the Net and on the writer’s Web sites.
A good sample book review would pertain to writing your personal feelings about a book that you’ve read.
Writing a book review is not to be confused with writing a summary of a book. Writing a summary is a totally different matter and that will be covered eventually in my Articles section.
In my opinion, no real format exists for writing book reviews. Writing help may not be needed. An example of book review variations is shown below.
Some rules do apply, however, and you will see that they are loose and easy to apply.
On this page, you will find reviews pertaining to my paranormal Egyptian fantasy novel, The Ka. You can also…
Read and analyze the first chapter of The Ka.
Read and analyze the lengthy character list for The Ka.
________________________________________
Some Dos and Don’ts
of Writing Book Reviews
Do ~
State how you feel about the story overall.
Did you get emotionally involved?
(Sample: I cried at the ending. What happens to the main character is something I can easily relate to.)
Point out what you liked about the plot.
The setting. The season. Time period. The writer’s ability. Anything that moved you.
(Sample: The descriptions of the...

...How to Write a Book Review
A book review is a description, critical analysis, and an evaluation on the quality, meaning, and significance of a book, not a retelling. It should focus on the book's purpose, content, and authority. A critical book review is not a bookreport or a summary. It is a reaction paper in which strengths and weaknesses of the material are analyzed. It should include a statement of what the author has tried to do, evaluates how well (in the opinion of the reviewer) the author has succeeded, and presents evidence to support this evaluation.
There is no right way to write a book review. Book reviews are highly personal and reflect the opinions of the reviewer. A review can be as short as 50-100 words, or as long as 1500 words, depending on the purpose of the review.
The following are standard procedures for writing book reviews; they are suggestions, not formulae that must be used.
1. Write a statement giving essential information about the book: title, author, first copyright date, type of book, general subject matter, special features (maps, color plates, etc.), price and ISBN.
2. State the author’s purpose in writing the book. Sometimes authors state their purpose in the preface or the first chapter. When they do not, you may arrive at an understanding of the book’s...

...imperial western power is at the heart of Dracula.
The main male characters belong to different age groups, education levels and professions. Mr Harker is a solicitor who offers assistance with purchasing properties. Arthur Holmwood later acquires the title Lord Goldaming. Van Helsing a Dutch physician and Professor is well versed in the supernatural but employs the Scientific method. Dr. John Seward, a psychiatrist and a head of a private mental asylum. Quincey Morris is a wealthy American entrepreneur. These six different characters could be viewed as a composite western hero in the novel.
The different occupations, background and characteristics allow a large number of male middle class western readers to identify with a particular character and may explain the popularity and endurance of the novel. Furthermore, the use of multiple first-person narrators creates suspense in presenting the attempt to thwart the Eastern invasion.
Count Dracula, representing primitive superstition, initially succeeds in having a foothold on western home soil, corrupting and polluting the weakest and most vulnerable in society: the mental patient in the asylum and women, Lucy Westenra and later Mina Harker.
Collectively the western heroes employ enlightened scientific methods to thwart the threat of invasion and pollution coming from the East. They track down all but one of Dracula’s lairs making them uninhabitable for him. When Count...

...Themes
Salvation and Damnation
As several characters note in the novel, a person's physical life is of secondary importance to the person's eternal life, which can be jeopardized if the person is made evil by a vampire like Dracula. Professor Van Helsing says, when he is explaining why they must kill the vampire Lucy, "But of the most blessed of all, when this now Un-Dead be made to rest as true dead, then the soul of the poor lady whom we love shall again be free." Even characters that are of questionable goodness, such as the mental patient, R. M. Renfield, realize that, although they can find immortality by being a vampire, they cannot find salvation. Renfield says, when he is begging Dr. Seward to let him go, not explaining that he is afraid of his master, Dracula: "Don't you know that I am sane and earnest now; that I am no lunatic in a mad fit, but a sane man fighting for his soul?" When Mina is distraught after realizing that Dracula has started to turn her into a vampire, Van Helsing warns her to stay alive if she wants to achieve her salvation. "Until the other, who has fouled your sweet life, is true dead you must not die; for if he is still with the quick Undead, your death would make you even as he is."
Roles of Men and Women
The novel underscores the expected roles of men and women in Victorian times. Women were expected to be gentle and ladylike and, most of all, subservient to men. For example, in one of her...

...Sexuality in Victorian Time
ENGL 1101
JOHN BRIDGES
September 30th, 2013
Rowatt 2
Innocence, chastity, purity, and married life are just a few things that made up the ‘image’ of the nineteenth century Victorian woman. During this time, it was greatly looked down upon if a woman chose to stay single, as she would be pitied and dubbed a “whore”. Lucy Westenra is one of the main characters in the novel, Dracula by Bram Stoker. Lucy is a beautiful young lady whose innocence and virtuous being draws three suitors to her. Although, this portrayed innocence is not the only thing that is drawing these men towards her. Lucy has a sexual appeal to her personality, much different than her best friend Mina Murray and the typical Victorian woman. This sense of sexual desire will eventually lead her right into the dangerous and evil arms of Count Dracula. The Count only has the ability to attack willing victims, which is why the sexually driven Victorian woman, Lucy Westenra is the first character to become victimized by Dracula’s deadly spell.
Count Dracula was an evil, lustful vampire who wanted nothing but power and control. He lived in an Eastern European country called, Transylvania. The Count preyed on any individual who would make him feel in control and powerful of the situation. This is why Lucy Westenra was targeted and made Dracula’s first victim. The first peculiar account Lucy and Mina experience was when...